Published 8:22 pm Wednesday, November 12, 2025
By Candice Stilwell
A fundraiser for a former jail corporal fighting cancer raised more than $1,900 as he recovers from treatment.
The Nov. 8 fundraiser for Madras resident Hector Martinez was organized by a nonprofit called Heroes for Hector.
The fundraiser was a showcase of community spirit, organizers said. The Elks Lodge provided Bingo games and raffle tickets. Oregon Beef Company in Madras donated meat for hamburgers served on site and Grocery Outlet donated hamburger buns and gave a discount to Hector’s Heroes for the condiments.
“Chaplain Richard Ross reached out saying that he would love to put on a fundraiser for Hector and his family,” said Elk’s Lodge secretary Valarie Highfield. “And I thought it was a great idea and just ran with it.”
More than 40 people attended the fundraiser, and all the money raised went to Martinez and his family.
Martinez returned home in late September after months in Portland’s Oregon Health & Science University hospital. While there, he received 12 weeks of treatment for a rare kind of cancer: Burkitt’s Lymphoma.
“It’s a long, long road of recovery ahead of him, even now,” said Martinez’s nephew Bryan Lima. “And it was really rough at the beginning of the year. I was actually in the room with him when they diagnosed him.”
The treatment ultimately caused Martinez to have partial paralysis from the waist down.
Now, Martinez and his family are adjusting to a new way of life as Martinez is currently in a wheelchair.
“Really, this is benefiting the Martinez family,” said Elks Lodge staff member Cullen Doyle. “ And we’re trying to stand behind them.”
Martinez is currently working in outpatient therapy on strengthening his muscles and has gained back some ability to move his feet.
“It is a lot of work,” said Martinez about his recovery efforts. “It’s been just a crazy process, the whole thing.”
Through it all, Martinez said he has been thankful for his wife, who has been a huge support to him.
“It’s a lot on her plate and I just don’t know if I could ever thank her enough.”
Lima shared a similar sentiment.
“She’s just awesome all around,” Lima said about his aunt. “I feel like she took care of him the most and I think she needs just as much recognition for her to assure her that she’s doing a good job too.”
Martinez has been overwhelmed by all the support he’s received from those around him since coming home.
“It’s mostly all of my coworkers who have been really pushing it,” said Martinez. “But it really surprised me because some of them are people that I know, that’s how they are, and that’s how they’d be. But then there’s been some people who I’ve been more of acquaintances with. And to see those people help out, it just shows that when you give good, good karma, it comes back to you.”
The fundraiser was no exception to that.
Elk’s Lodge staff were excited at the opportunity to support Martinez and kick off their weekly Bingo nights with the fundraiser.
“It’s just overwhelming from someone who went from basically the brink of death because of how sick I got,” Martinez said. “And then seeing everyone just supporting me. People I know, people I don’t know, just people of the community… It’s just an amazing thing.”